


Found and Lost

by lil_1337



Series: The Artie Bunch [4]
Category: Warehouse 13
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, offscreen death of an OC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-03
Updated: 2013-07-03
Packaged: 2017-12-17 12:58:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/867800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for <a href="http://smallfandomfest.livejournal.com/profile"><img class="i-ljuser-userhead"/></a><a class="i-ljuser-username" href="http://smallfandomfest.livejournal.com/"></a><b>smallfandomfest</b> fest 13.  Can be read as a sequel to Seek and Hide or as a stand alone.</p><p>Prompt: Warehouse 13 – Steve/Joshua - Steve comes home late, Josh was waiting for him. Hurt/comfort</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found and Lost

The sound of the door shutting and low, muted, voices woke Joshua from where he had been drowsing, sleeping off some of the jet lag that came with making the trip to South Dakota. He stretched, feeling the beginning twinges of pain in the small of his back from falling asleep on the couch while waiting for Steve and Claudia to come home from a quick snag, bag and tag trip to Philadelphia.

Artie had shared a few of the details, but Joshua had been too tired to absorb much. Something about a spatula used to make the first cheese steak that made anything cooked with it irresistible. The down side, because there always was one, was that it became melded with the hand of the user. They knew where the artifact was and it should have been a wham, bam, thanks for the artifact ma'am kind of mission.

Unfortunately when dealing with artifacts and life things don't play out the way they are expected to. This was a reality that Joshua and all of the agents at the warehouse knew all too well.

With his footsteps muffled by thick socks he wore, Joshua moved through the dining room and out to the foyer where Claudia and Steve were hanging their still damp outer clothes. He held back until Claudia spied him. Squealing, coat still hanging from one of her arms she launched herself at her brother and wrapped her arms around him, holding on tight. Over her head Joshua's eyes locked with Steve's. He smiled, watery and more diluted than usual, but no less genuine.

“I'm sorry I wasn't able to pick you up at the airport. Artie has no concept of the meaning of vacation time.” Steve's smile was brighter though there was a haunted sadness in his eyes.

“No problem. I had a nice chat with Mrs. Fredrick. She knows quite a bit about quantum physics and good German dessert wines. I'll have to remember to bring her a bottle or two the next time I visit.”

Steve was surprised, though he shouldn't have been, that Joshua wasn't lying. It never failed to amaze him how Joshua just kind of took things in stride. That and his willingness to see Steve's ability as a scientific curiosity instead of a barricade to having a relationship. His natural inclination towards not lying helped a lot too.

Claudia stirred then pulled away to give Joshua a loud, sloppy kiss on the cheek. “I'd love to hang out here all night listening to you boys talk, but I'm tired and my bed is calling my name. I'll see you in the morning. Bro. We're still on for breakfast at the bakery, right?”

“Of course. It's a traditional.” He smiled and ruffled her hair as if she was still a small child he was sending off to bed.

She rolled her eyes, but accepted it with more good grace than usual. “Be gentle with Steve, he's had a tough day.” With that she was gone, taking the stairs two at a time on her way up to her room.

“I'm sorry. Do you want to talk about it?” Joshua stayed where he was, respecting the stiff way Steve was holding himself and his lack of effort to move into Joshua's space.

“Yes.” Steve smiled again, this time letting the vulnerability he was feeling show in his eyes. “I really do, but not here. I'm wet, cold and tired and I feel like I'm going to fall over.”

“Okay.” With a careful touch Joshua took the coat that drooped forgotten from Steve's hand and hung it on the rack by the door. He knelt and removed Steve's boots next leaving them side by side on the heavy mat next to the door. Hand in hand, shoulders bumping they made their way up the stairs, neither one saying a word. In Steve's room they undressed and slid under the covers.

Joshua pulled Steve close, lightly rubbing the places where his skin felt chilled. Inch by inch and breath by breath the tension left Steve's body until Joshua was supporting most of his weight. Joshua's eyes were starting to close when Steve spoke; soft words masked by the dark. “It was supposed to be an easy mission. Go in, get it and go. The flight there and back should have taken longer than getting artifact.”

Joshua nodded though he knew Steve couldn't see it. “But it wasn't was it?”

“No.” Steve paused, lost in his thoughts for a moment. “We got the artifact easily enough. We bagged it and were taking it out to the car, congratulating ourselves on how quick it went when this kid comes out of no where and snatches it out of my hand. I yelled at Claudia to get the car and I took off running after her.”

Steve fell silent again, the tension returning to his muscles as he talked.

“They'd just had a storm so it was really cold. The sidewalks were covered with patches of ice. I almost fell a couple of times and I had my boots on. She was wearing really thin soled sneakers.”

There was another pause and Joshua pulled Steve closer, wrapping himself around to create a safe haven.

“She fell and hit her head. I did CPR, but it didn't matter. They pronounced her at the scene, head trauma.”

“It wasn't your fault, Steve. It was an accident.”

“I know.” Steve sighed, his breath gusting out and blowing Joshua's hair back from his face. “That doesn't make it any easier. What the hell was she doing out there in the first place? She wasn't that much younger...” _than Claudia_ hung in the air, unspoken, but clearly heard by both men. “I've seen people die before.” Steve kept speaking though it was more to himself than Joshua. “Artifacts can be dangerous. I know, I've seen what they can do. But this was just stupid. There was no reason for it.”

“People die for stupid reasons every day. It's not something that either one of us can do anything about.” Joshua paused, running his hand up and down Steve's back with a soothing and comforting touch.”

“It doesn't mean I have to like it.”

“No, it doesn't.” Joshua kissed the top of Steve's head then his neck. “If you did or if you just accepted it then you wouldn't be you. I love that you feel so passionately and deeply and yet you still have an incredibly analytical mind. You're everything that is good and decent about humanity.”

“Thank you.” Steve's voice was husky and rough, but steadier than it had been. “This isn't how I planned to spend tonight, but I'm really glad you were here.”

Joshua smiled, his hand coming up to cup Steve's face gently. “So am I, Steve, so am I.”


End file.
